Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-06-22

sToRY-A DEFENSE OF THE WOMEN OF PRINCE VIII
LIAM COUNTY.
Mr. Geo. c. Round, lawyer of Manassas, at the
| request OF the session OF the Manassas PreSby.
terrain church, made an investigation OF the scan
dalouS stories and charges recently circulated tC
the injury OF the pastor OF the church, Rev
Francis VI. Todd. Mr.. Round Is not member Of
| the Presbyterian church, but Methodist He
has been notary for about twenty years, has
represented Prince William County in the legisla-
| ture. The report which he has submitted is as
follows:
TO nte Session Of the Manassas Presbyterian
Church:
In response to your written request Of June O.
1887 visited the vicinity OF the First Presby terrain
church OF Prince William on June 10 and IL.
Before doing so l notified Rev. Francis NJ. Todd
and John T. Hornbaker to furnish me the names OF
any witnesses they might desire examined. also
delivered to John r HOrnbaker the notice signed
by the session. requesting him to lay before then
at meeting to be held at the church on Monday,
June 10, at 10 a. m, any evidence he might nave
TO sustain his allegations to the stated clerk OF the
presbytery. also, on Saturday. June IL. called
at the house OF VIM. +. BOd1ne and left with the
person in charge OF the premises notice in writing
10 send me the names OF any witnesses he might
desire to testify before me. TO these notices Mr..
Hornbaker and Mr.. Bodine have made no response.
In order that might know definitely the con:
tents OF the papers shown by him to the clerk OF
the preSbytery, asked Mr.. HOrnbaker TO show me
the said papers, which he declined to do. was
therefore compelled to rely on rumor and neWspa-
pt7I "ulCu were iT6uueHtiS 81 ClIouCOuo
as TO have little or resemblance to the case as
IL now appears.
RUMORS WITHOUT FOUNDATION.
In the course Of my investigation / found no
foundation whatever for the following rumers:
1. The story, as first published, that Mr.. Todd,
on Sunday, after preaching to his congregation,
escorted a young woman to her home and that
While on the way thither the couple were discOv--
cred by c0loreG man in n position damaging 10
the reputation o. both SO far from this, IT how
appears that ne rode on horseback to Col. Snow s
and remained over night, where 1t so happened
there Was but one lady, and she about eighty years
Old.
. The story that the informer had been arrested
and locked up by Mr.. TOdd'S friends. SO FAR from
this Mr.. Todd and his church seem to have paid
no attention to the story till IL was taken up by
Mr.. Hornbaker. The negro, Turner, has been un-
disturbed except by intervieweTS.
b The story that Mr. Todd had left the county.
There is no foundation for believing that he con-
tcmplatei such course.
4. The story tnat he stayed on Monday night at
Elder WashingtOn'S house and took by-rOad
through the woods on Tuesday to the point desig-
mated by Turner.
D. The story that ON the day named by Turner
he had an engagement to dine with DR.. Redding
at noon, but did not arrive till p. m, and then,
when asked by the doctor about his whereabouts
named place where he had not been, and that in
the meantime he had been seen by Turner.
g. The story that he turned off the main road at
q point between Nitchell'S and HerSheJ'S and took
a by-road that would have brought him to the spot
described by Turner.
:. All the stories that he was seen riding in a
found but one instance Of the Kind in the COM
mUnlty for years and the witness who had been
mentioned to Inc by several persons as knowing
something OF great importance testified that it
was some time before the Turner story. and that
she supposed the lady TO have been Mr.. Todds
wife.
s. The stories that Mr.. Todd had a woman be-
hind him on horseback, or that woman followed
him on foot.
think, admitted by everybody to be untrue, be-
cause the existence OF these false reports, with
numerous others not named, Is one fact to be
accounted Tor In the history or this case.
MI. TODD's ROUTE OF TRAVEL
As the first important question to be determined
was Mr.. Todds route OF travel, called upon
nearly all families located near the roads in
question and upon all individuals that could
hear were rumored to have any knowledge OF the
Whereabouts OF MIR. Todd. At the beginning of
my investigation was forced to the conclusion
that Mr. Todd possessed the faculty OF OmnipreS-
eRce, as II seemed to me he was reported on all
both on horseback and in buggies. The fact seems
TO have been that soon as the story OF Turner
became known everyone put on his thinking cap
and told his next neighbOr Of all the hOrSemen
and buggieS that had been seen in his vicinity
for several weeks past, and his neighbor
seems TO have surmised that his Informant had
seen Mr.. Todd and so informed his neighbor next
adjoining. But as each person was sworn and ex-
amined doubt after doubt disappeared, and 1t may
possibly turn out that MI. Todd Is only capable OF
being in one place at one time An incident Illus
trating the difficulty In cases OF this kind trans
pired on Friday. 10TH when 1 met number OF
gentlemen working on the road who informed me
that Mr.. Todd was then in the ne1ghbOrhOOd and
had been seen driving in buggy that day. 1 hap
pened to know who II was and succeeded in con-
vincing them OF their mistake, but they Informed
Inc that they would have been willing to have
sworn IL Was Mr.. Todd. Fortunately there now
apperS no conflict OF evidence in the case leaving
out OF account the evidence Of RObt H. Turner,
concerning which here express no opinion. This
In general during period OF intense excitement.
II Is also due to the community to say that could
find no foundation for the various
REPORTS OF LYNCHING,
mobbing, &C., except the excited assertions OF
some persons expelled from MIR. Todd's church
years since. 1t was asserted, as was informed,
that a band OF fifty or more persons had been or
gained TO do violence to Mr.. Todd should he at
tempt TO preach. On Sunday, the 10th, l heard
Mr. Todd preach for the first time in the First
Presbyterian church Of Prince William, and the
audience which filled the house, was as quiet and
orderly as any have ever seen. l am satisfied
seluent upon the ruInOrS named above and similar
ones that the uniform sentiment OF our best cirt-
Zens now Is that the Presbyterian church and the
Washington City PreSbytery are more interested
IL tie purity of their own ministry than anyone
Else possibly can be, and / believe their verdict
wnale yer IL be- will be acquiesced in by all impair
tl3l citizens.
took the affidavit OF Robert H. Turner in the
presence OF one or his white and OF one OF his
colored neighbors. subsequently / visited the
spot designated by him in presence OF two wit
nesseo and heard his explanation ON the ground
have also had another interview with him In the
presence OF witnesses. l took no evidence to
establish or TO overthrow Turner's reputation for
truth, though ] found persons ready to TESTIFY
/ for and against him IN that respect. In the di.
V1ded and excited state OF the public mind con-
Guided that, as this was matter or opinion rather
than fact Turner's story mus stand or fall on its
| own merits. respectfully suggest that 1t would
be desirable TO have Mr.. Turner before you in
person II possible. IL that Is not possible think
| that Il photograph filed in the case would shed
| light on the questions involved. AS your request
| 10 me concerned only the charges against Rev
Francis VI. Todd have not Thought proper to ex-
anime witnesses to establish the guilt or fnnO-
cence OF any other person.
THE SCENE DESCRIBED BY TURNER
Is located near the junction OF several important
roads, and the time naIned is the hour at which
the farmers usually send to the trains and for their
morning mail. As Turner does not claim to know
the other party to the alleged interview his tes,
IIony Is more or less the smt-chlng OF an entire
community, and one calculated 10 produce an
amount Oh gossip and mistrust almost Incredible
| OF great INJURY 10 the morals OF any community
| for obvious reasons, and one calculated 10 cali
forth unjust suspicious OF the most cruel nature
against not only one but many. deem it nv dut v
to state that While express 10 opinion In this
paper TO the question before you the v,lflt or
| Innocence OF Rev. Francis NJ. Todd which am
content 10 leave TO the proper ecclesiastical trfbu-
nal, do concur in the testimony OF Mr. Peter
| Curry, member OF the Catholic Church ard tina
nearest resident TO the Presbyterian Church when
he said In his testimony: 81 don't believe there ts
a lady in this community who would have met Mr.
| Todd or any other man In the wood, for such /.
purpose" state this not only from a general
knowledge OF the community for the past twenty
years, but from the careful inquiry OF the few ave
| past.
herewith return diagram OF the roads houses
&C., named In the evidence; also a diagram of the
spot named by Turner; also, tie adavits OF Tur-